Review: Volvo Penta 280-C V6 Stern-Drive Engine

At the Australia’s Greatest Boats 2017 comparison we reviewed a Volvo Penta 280-C V6 sterndrive on a Whittley SL22 Sea Legend. When it comes to stern drives — love them or hate them — the fact remains that they keep weight down low and tend to use less fuel than outboards, plus you get more control with more leg in the water.

Volvo Penta 280-C V6

The Volvo Penta 4300cc V6 in the back of the Whitley SL 22 – one of our favourite hulls – was the full-Monty 280hp marine engine, the highest output of the Volvo sterndrive family that runs from 200hp.

Although the Volvo 280-C is all-alloy and super-modern, with variable timing and direct injection, once you couple on the Duoprop leg, weight balloons out past 400kg – ouch! Then again, it’s all below the coaming line and right in the stern of the boat, so if anything it helps keep the boat stable at rest and landing softly on the deep deadrise when skipping across swells.

Our engine testing was again in variable conditions, off Fraser Island in Hervey Bay, Qld, where we had some tide running and wind whipping up a bit of chop. What stood out most was top-end speed – we hit an impressive 40kt, making the Whittley SL22 / Volvo Penta 280-C package an impressively fast combination. Also impressive was fuel burn at troll, where this gamefishing boat will spend a lot of its time.

We saw 1nm (1.8km) per litre when running at 1500rpm and 7kt – marlin anyone? At 4000rpm we hit the sweet spot for maximum distance at a fast cruise. Showing 27.5kt we were burning 36 litres per hour or getting 0.77nm (a bit over 1.4km) per litre – that’s great for a high-power engine in a big 6.5m by 2.4m deep-vee fibreglass fishing boat like the Whittley Sea Legend.

Volvo Penta 280-C V6 specs

TYPE Direct-injection petrol stern drive V6

RATED HP 280

DISPLACEMENT 4300cc

WEIGHT 404kg (with leg)

GEAR RATIO 1.85:1

PROPELLER Stainless steel FH4 Duoprop